Implements are often pushed in front of or pulled behind various vehicles in various industries for various reasons. Countless examples of just such an arrangement exist within the agricultural industry and include a tractor pulling a planter, cultivator, sprayer, spreader or similar device. Countless other examples exist within the construction, earth moving and maintenance industries such as a snow plow, bulldozer, grater, paver or similar device which pushes or pulls various blades or other implements to move or remove material. Other examples exist wherein the attached implement is a trailer or other object or device connected to the vehicle that has wide berth that provides similar problems to those related to vehicles with other implements. Examples of these vehicles include airplanes with their wide wings, large boats or barges, and specialty vehicles such as wide construction equipment, large mining equipment, oversized hauling equipment, and the like. Throughout this disclosure, the term vehicle shall be used to describe any type of vehicles without limitation; and the term implement shall be used to describe any type of implement or attachment connected to these vehicles that must be accounted for when steering the vehicle.
To improve efficiency, over time the size of vehicles has grown as has the width of implements. As an example, to plant more seeds in a single pass, the width of planters has grown from 6 rows, to 12 rows, to 24 rows to now even 48 rows. To till more ground in a single pass, the width of tillage devices has similarly grown. To spray more ground, the width of sprayers has similarly grown. To carry more passengers and cargo, the width of airplanes wings has similarly grown. To plow or grate a larger area, snow plows, graters and snow blowers have grown in width.
While this increased width provides the advantage of covering more ground in a single pass, wider implements have their disadvantages. Namely, as the width of vehicles and/or implements have grown, it has become more difficult for operators to control these vehicles and implements. This is because the operators have difficulty predicting where the outside edges of the implements will be. This is especially true when the vehicles have to follow borders of a field or road within close tolerances. If the operator misjudges where the outside edge of the implement will travel this can cause the implement to strike buildings, fences, terraces, rocks, utility poles, irrigation equipment or the like. Or alternatively, miscalculation can cause the operator to not cover ground, leaving piles of snow or untilled or unplanted ground, which can cause safety hazards or loss of profits. Further safety hazards exist when traveling on roads used by pedestrians and other vehicles as a miscalculation can cause injury or an accident.
Therefore a need exists in the art to provide a visual guidance system that addresses these problems.
Thus it is a primary object of the invention to provide a visual guidance system that improves upon the state of the art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that helps provide the operator with a point of reference to help guide the vehicle and implement.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that is easy to use.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that can serve as a back-up or double check to GPS guidance systems.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that does not require GPS.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that predicts the position of an outside edge of an implement in the direction of travel thereby providing a reference point for steering.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that is reliable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that is inexpensive.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that is adjustable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that adjusts for the position of an operator's head.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that is robust.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that can be easily seen.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that is simple and does not distract the operator.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that can be adjusted for various implements and applications.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that is robust and durable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that can be used in a wide variety of applications.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that reduces collisions with the implement.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that reduces overlap between passes.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that maximizes the amount of ground covered.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that improves operator efficiency.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that reduces strain on an operator.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that makes the vehicle easier to control.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that improves safety.
Another object of the invention is to provide a visual guidance system that adjusts for the orientation of an operator's head or more specifically for the orientation of the operator's eyes.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification, drawings and claims.